Deadline approaching for Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards

There's still time to enter the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards and receive a prestigious graduate award title. The deadline for entries is 16 April.

The award is open to chefs who are aged 23 or younger. Of the 11 chefs who made it to last year's final exam, only four received the 85% needed to make the Craft Guild hall of fame. Regional heats will take place in June and will involve a practical cookery and a written theory exam. Those that make it through will be invited back for the final in September.

Michelin-starred chef and chef-patron of Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, Chris Galvin (pictured), has confirmed he will once again be taking on the role of chairman of examiners at the 2011 Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards in September.

Vice-president of the Craft Guild of Chefs and awards organiser, Steve Munkley, said they were now keen to hear from young chefs who wanted to push their boundaries to the limit. "We want to hear from chefs who are 23 or under to put themselves forward for the chance to prove they have taken the skills they learnt in college to the next level," said Steve, executive chef at London's Royal Garden hotel. "It's not a competition but a way to say, yes, I'm making great strides up the career ladder as verified by the best chefs in the industry."

In addition to gaining new skills and an industry-recognised achievement, a host of unique opportunities are opened up as a graduate, including study tours to Luxembourg with Villeroy & Boch and a Scottish fish farm arranged by James Knight of Mayfair. The Highest Graduate Achiever also receives a special prize. Commis chef at the House of Commons Jack Alibone, who was awarded the title in 2010, received a three-day study tour to the south of France courtesy of Schwartz Spices, hosted by development chef Steve Love.

This year's successful graduates will be announced in front of hundreds of influential guests at a glittering awards luncheon to celebrate the 2011 Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards. The Highest Graduate Achiever will be announced and mentors and employers respectively will be recognised.

Chefs do not have to be members of the Craft Guild to apply and can download and submit their application forms online at www.craftguildofchefs.org, where potential graduates can also peruse a Q&A. For more information, call Suzanne on 020 8948 3870 or e-mail craftguild@btconnect.com.

Ingredients will be supplied for the regional cooking tests in June, but chefs must bring their own knives and small equipment. Assistance will be given to chefs with special needs.

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By Amanda Afiya

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